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Landscape

Princeton’s arboreal landscape has always enhanced the campus identity and experience. Guided by the Campus Plan, the University strives to expand woodland plantings and renew natural flows and cycles in the landscape. This is being achieved through an integrated, campus-wide ecosystem approach that focuses on conserving water, reducing chemical use, protecting soils, and restoring ecological function.

Princeton has also embarked upon an ambitious program of stormwater management to reduce demand for purchased fresh water by capturing and using rainwater. This will help revitalize the regional watershed by reducing erosion and minimizing runoff.

Goal

Progress

Following the installation of the Butler College green roof in 2009, stormwater data indicates that the roofs demonstrate delayed runoff and an approximate 60 percent reduction in peak runoff for moderate rain events.

In the past year, non-athletic pesticide use decreased to about 1,960 gallons, representing a 54 percent decrease from 2007 levels.

The AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) allows metric-driven progress assessment across operations and academics for North American higher education and has recognized Princeton at the Silver leadership level.

Since 2007, the campus had a net increase of approximately 3,174 trees. In total, nearly 12 acres of woodlands and five acres of open green space have been established over that same time period.

The University restored a meandering and steeped form to the formerly degraded Washington Road stream in 2012. Preliminary results of nutrient composition, dissolved oxygen, and water clarity indicate a healthier stream environment than its prior condition.